Dragon Bond
by littlekawaiifirefox
Summary: She wants a Dragon more than anything. If only she could just bond with one. She must follow in her father's footsteps. If not for her own sake, then for her family's and maybe the entire country. More details inside. Rated 'T' for situational content.
1. Prologue

**Prologue**

_ In the days of our ancestors, great wars constantly raged. Our capitol was the only safe haven for families, but even they bickered and fought. Fields burned and cities crumbled. The war had gone on for so long, no one knew why they were fighting anymore. It had become a country where forgiveness was lost. Any hope of peace had died with the thousands of fallen soldiers._

_ The country was at a standstill. They'd fought their longest and harest battle yet. Neither side prevailed, leaving countless bodies in its wake. Among those bodies was a single man that was still alive. His retreating comrades had left him for dead, but he still felt the strength and the will to live on. He had hope._

_ It was as he lied in the mud, broken and still struggling to hold on, that they appeared. A colony of Dragons had come to feast on the dead soldiers. Dragons had never been seen before, bein mostly nightwalkers and shy of us. They wanted nothing to do with our war and wished not to provoke fear in us of them._

_ A Dragon green as the brightest emerald approached the dying man and sniffed him, then snorted. What happened next surprised the soldier; he heard a voice inside his head._

You do not fear me, warrior? _The soldier knew immediately that it was the voice of the Dragon._

_ "I am so close to death, anyway. Why should I fear anything else?"_

Silly man. You don't even fear death now. Why do you still cling to life? You should die now so that I may eat of your flesh.

_"You would not kill me?" The Dragon turned one huge gem-like eye on him with some scrutiny._

No. It is not my place to kill your kind. We kill when we are hungy, but you humans make that unnecessary by killing so many of each other. There are plenty of others that I can move on to as you decide to let go.

_The soldier nodded, "You asked why I still live. I live because I am waiting for salvation." The Dragon stared at him for a long time without saying anymore. Finally, the man sighed, "Will you not help me, fearful and beautiful creature? Help me stop this nonsense war."_

I am Dragon. _Great pride rang in the Dragon's voice, _But tell me, man, why should I fight a war that is not mine?

_He smiled up at the Dragon, "If your kind were fighting as mine are, would you not want someone to stop it?" The Dragon growled, but it was not menacing._

Yes, I would, however, my kind is not quite so irrational.

_"Then you understand. Will you help me?" he pleaded. The Dragon let ot a trumpeting roar and she bowed her head towards the fallen man._

Yes, I will help you. Now rise, my friend.

_She touched her snout to his forehead and a scale as green as hers appeared above his right brow and his eyes turned the color of bright emeralds. Dragon and human bonded for the first time. They became linked in such a way that one could not live without the other. Their hearts now beat as one. Filled with the strength of the Dragon, the soldier's wounds healed quickly and he soon stood beside her._

_ The Dragon lowered her great head and offered her foreleg to him, _Climb on. We shall storm your people by fire and make them see reason. _The other Dragons around them gnashed their bloody maws and roared. They would join the bonded pair's crusade._

_ The man climbed up the Dragon's leg to settle upon the crook in her neck, "Do you have a name, Dragon?"_

Uinzu.

_The soldier smiled, "Light. It suits you. My name is Simon."_

Simon. It is good that the first human we meet is like you. Let's ride. _Simon nodded and clung tightly to her neck and, followed by the whole colony of Dragons, they flew through the night sky. When they raided the first battle, there was no retaliation, no resistance. The sight of the Dragons was too overwhelming._

_ Simon and Uinzu landed in the center of the battlefield and they convinced both sides to cooperate in stopping the senseless fighting. Some of the soldiers that were brave enough to walk among the colony, bonded with the Dragons. There were now a total of ten Riders._

_ Everywhere they went, weapons were laid down at their feet. None were willing to challenge the fearsome looking Dragons. Five more Riders would join the ranks before the land was brought to peace. The Riders and the other unbonded Dragons gathered the people at the capitol and announced that the war was over. There was no reason for the people to fight each other any longer._

_ It was difficult for them at first, but, with the help of the Riders, there soon became no reason to carry a sword anymore. The only weapons carried were by the law enforcers and sometimes by Riders who never disbanded to ensure the peace. It wasn't long before the country was renamed 'Mesiphia no Uinzu', which means 'Wings of Light', to honor Simon and his bonded Dragon, Uinzu. The ocuntry has been at peace and has flourished ever since._

"Again, again!" The little girl in her bed squealed. Her father chuckled.

"You should be asleep by now!"

The little girl sighed, "How can I sleep when you tell _that_ story? It's my _favorite_." Her father smiled and rubbed the top of her head.

"Yes, I know, but you should sleep now. You have a big day tomorrow." The girl huffed, but crawled under her covers anyway.

Just as she was about to pull her daddy in for a goodnight kiss on the cheek, a woman walked in carrying a small baby, "Lukas," she said, "The Council is looking for you." The girl's father stood up and kissed her forehead.

"Goodnight, sweetie. I'll see you in the morning." He went to his wife and kissed her cheek goodbye. She followed him, whispering, "They've found a traitor. Please be careful."

The little girl popped back out of her bed and ran down the hall, "Daddy!" Her father turned, surprised.

"Twila, you should be in bed." She grabbed onto her father's leg.

"Promise you'll tell me that story agian tomorrow night. Please." She held on as tight as she could, but her strength was no match for her father's.

He laughed, "I promise if _you _promise you'll go to bed." The little girl hugged him tightly around the neck.

"Okay, I promise." She was let down and she ran to her room, not knowing this would be the last time she'd see her father.

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**A/N:**

**Okay, so, in case you haven't noticed, this story follows absolutely nothing in Eragon, although you may see a similarity here and there.**

**This is because this story is indeed NOT a fanfiction, but rather my own story that was inspired by The Inheritance Cycle. I have brought it here to see how well it does as I write it. I will take all constructive criticism to heart and, in the end, make the ultimate decision whether or not to publish this as a book. If I do publish it, I will not fail to send out special thanks to all of my reviewers here.**

**Please enjoy the story and review using your complete opinion. Flames are most certainly welcome. Just remember to be patient with me on this story because it is my own and I will be putting much more thought into this than I have ever done with any of my fanfictions. Ciao, for now! Much love, ~Littlekawaiifirefox**


	2. Chapter 1

**1**

**The Bonding Ceremony**

I woke with a gasp from the nightmare. How many times was that this week? Too many. I wasn't getting enough sleep. I rolled over with a deep sigh and looked out my window. There was still an hour at least until dawn and I knew I wouldn't be able to go back to sleep.

I groaned and got out of bed. I went down the hall and checked on my mom. Passed out like usual. It was the only way she ever slept anymore. I continued down the hall and peeked in on my eight-year-old brother, Cyrus. He was still sleeping peacefully. I envied him for his sleep a bit, but then again...

Still creeping, I went out into the kitchen and grabbed a muffin for my breakfast. It felt like any other morning, but today was the day that would change my life forever and it had my nerves wired. I was more excited for today than I had been about anything. Fifteen years worth of anticipation and six years worth of intense preparation was built up in my gut, ready to burst. I nearly jumped out of my skin as Cyrus came into the kitchen, rubbing his eyes and calling for me.

"Lalee?" He'd called me that since he could talk, not quite being able to make the 'T' and 'w' work together in my actual name. It was cute, though.

"What's the matter, baby? Did you have a bad dream?" I put my breakfast down, not quite able to eat, anyway, and pulled him into my lap. He shook his head as I kissed the top of it and rubbed his sleepy eyes again.

"No. Today, Lalee gets her Dragon, right?"

I grinned, "Yes, it's today." The Dragon Bonding Ceremony was today and I was one of the lucky students chosen this year.

Cyrus smiled back at me, "I thought so. I'm excited to see Lalee's Dragon. You'll have the cooles, most bestest Dragon ever!" His eyes were so round with his excitement that I had to laugh.

"_Best_." I tickled him lightly, "I guess that means I won't be talking you back into bed, so what would you like for breakfast?"

"Eggs, pwease!" and he plopped down from my lap to sit in his own chair.

I chuckled, "Eggs it is, then." I whipped up some scrambled eggs for him and gave him some toast with butter and jam. I sat down and watched him eat with another small sting of jealousy.

"Lalee? Will you tell me the story of the first Dragon Bonding?" Cyrus spoke through a mouthful of food.

"Chew and swallow, then talk," I mothered him. I had been all he had for a mother since Dad died. Mom locked herself away and numbed out her pain with alcohol. It was too much for her to handle so soon after losing my older sister to illness. She'd only been one year from being able to bond. Cyrus had only just been born when Dad died. I looked out the window and nearly had a heart attack. The sun was up over the horizon.

"Oh, shoot! I'm going to be late! It'll have to wait until tonight. Molly should be here soon. Wish me luck!" I yelled all of this as I scurried around for my gear and jumped up and down as I put my shoes on.

Molly was my best friend Logan's mother. She looked after Cyrus for me so that I could still have my own life, as she put it. I loved Cyrus too much to see it that way, though. He was a big part of my life, my own flesh and blood. I never once thought of him as a burden. He was a really good kid. The only time I ever heard him complain was if I spaced off while cooking a meal and accidentally burnt it. We went to Logan's house on those nights where Molly was always happy to have us.

I ran out the door, slamming it behind me. As I ran down the dirt road, I caught a glimpse of Logan up ahead walking with my other best friend, "Logan! Suri! Wait up!" they stopped and turned to face me. Logan grinned as Suri rolled her eyes with a knowing smile.

"Running late as usual, I see." Suri commented as I aproached them. Logan threw an arm around my neck, putting me in a headlock, and ground his knuckles lightly on the top of my head.

"How's it going, Lalee?" Logan was the _only_ person other than my brother I allowed to call me by that nickname. He'd picked it up from Cyrus and had laughed, saying that it was 'catchy.' If Suri didn't think that it was completely childish, I was sure I'd let her call me Lalee, too.

Logan was lean and strong and was the only guy who'd beaten me in feats fo strength. Well, the only person who'd ever beaten me, actually. I was at the top of my class along with Logan and Suri. "Alright, Logan, cut it out or I'll put you on your back."

"Hardly!" Logan laughed, but let go anyway. I knew as well as he did that he wouldn't beat me in a match unless it was in class. I was his best friend and he had a hard time viewing me as an opponent. At least, that's what he said. However, something itched at the back of my mind that said there was more to it than that. I was forced to shake off the thought as Suri caught my attention.

"Twila, you're spacing out again." she said.

I winced, "Sorry. I just have a lot on my mind." Logan's joking demeanor disappeared in a flash.

"Nothing happened this morning, did it?" he asked. I felt myself soften under his concerning gaze.

"No. Nothing happened." Drunken rages happened occassionally with my mother; sometimes they were iolent and I would be in the way. Don't get me wrong, she's not abusive or anything. She just likes to throw things and sometimes I'll walk right into the path of whatever she threw. Stuff like that. It kind of just happens when I space out.

Ever since Dad died eight years ago, I've had a problem keeping my focus at times. There were only three things I could focus on - Cyrus, my studies, and fighting. They were the only things I _wanted_ to focus on. Which pretty much threw courtship out the window. I was too much of a tomboy, anyway. Not to mention Cyrus and I were a package deal. There weren't any guys my age that were ready to handle that kind of responsibility. The only exception was Logan with his multitude of brothers and sisters, both older and younger. I shuddered at the thought of Logan courting me. Too weird. I mean, we were best friends.

"Are you _sure_ nothing happened?" Logan repeated, the worry perfectly clear in his green eyes, probably responding to my sudden shudder. Come to think of it, Logan was pretty much the only guy who _hadn't _tried courting me. He probably thoght it was weird, too.

I smiled up at him, fully appreciating this newfound fact, "I'm sure, Logan, now let's get a move on or we'll _all_ be late."

"Finally." Suri sighed exasperatedly. She led us into a quick sprint towards the training grounds. When we got there, the other five students chosen for today were already following out teacher into the forest. We quickened our pace and put ourselves in line alphabetically. Since my name started with a 'T', I was last in line. Suri was two people ahead of me and Logan was third from the front.

The path we walked on was well worn due to genereations of the Dragon Bonding Ceremony. My heart thumped in my chest, excitement taking over my senses. My breath was labored, though not from running. The anticipation clawed at the inside of my stomach, wanting to channel it's fury outward. All of it stopped, however, when we filed into the most beautiful clearing I'd ever seen.

On the far side from us was a fifty foot cliff from which tumbled a magnificent waterfall. The pool it created underneath it was the color of cool turquoise and aquamarine. It was a very unique and rich color even as it flowed away through the trees. The grass was thick and lush, but not overgrown. I had the urge to take off my shoes and wriggle my toes in it, it looked so soft. Most amazing of all was the perfect rainbow formed by the sunlight touching the mist at the bottom of the waterfall.

Despite the landscapes natural beauty, however, it could not begin to compare to the pearl-like iridescent scales of the Dragons' queen, Atera, as she landed before us. I was struck with awe by her magnificence and obvious strength. Even though she was massive in size, her movements were graceful. I took in her sight, committing it to memory. The Queen of Dragons only appeared to humans for the Ceremony. The only way to know her was by the white of her scales.

Suri reached around the person seperating us and grasped my arm tightly. All week she'd been freaked out about meeting Atera. Not scared, just really nervous. I mean, Atera was royalty among the Dragons and the Queen and King demanded the utmost respect. Mostly it was Atera, though. I half snickered and Suri threw me a murderous glance to which I laughed loudly. The others turned to stare at me. "Sorry." I muttered, all laughter gone. Logan caught my eye and grinned at me. A light sheepish blush colored my cheeks.

We all jumped suddenly as we heard Atera's voice in our heads. Her voice was rich and thick with power and quite obviously effeminite.

_Children, _she said, _We are here today to find our true bonding pair. To form a love and friendship that can only be rivaled by one's life mate. This Bond will connect us in mind and spirit. We will become one today. Now, step forth and you will be chosen._

We knew how this went. We'd practiced for a whole week. One by one, each of us would go to stand alone in the middle of the clearing before Atera and our soul Dragon - the Dragon we are meant to be with for eternity - will approach us. Then the bonding begins.

I watched as the first student in line took her first tentative step towards the center. Her name was Amelia and she'd been my rival in training from day one. I smirked as her nerves showed; it was good to see the enemy faltering. My smirk disappeared, though, as Dragons appeared out of the trees and burst out of the water. My mouth fell open in awe while they circled Amelia and spread their wings. The Dragons were all shades of all colors. There were even some that were two different shades of the same color or two complimentary colors.

The Dragons suddenly took to the sky and circled the air above Amelia. They would beat their wings twice then glide in a downwards spiral before flying back to the top of the procession again. Their pace began to quicken until they were almost a vortex of color. Wind from their wings tore at our clothes and hair. The swirling vortex of Dragons came to a sudden halt as they seemed to be at a standstill in mid-air. From the throng, a rosy pink Dragon seperated itself from the rest, a single thread of movement; the eye of the storm of color.

The pink Dragon landed before Amelia, snorting and clawing at the ground. The Dragon swung her head as she approached closer to Amelia and focused one huge pink opal eye on her. Amelia drew herself up and said in a loud voice, "Dragon, do you choose me as your pair bond? Will you accept me to share your life?" The Dragon bared her teeth and touched her muzzle to Amelia's forehead. The rest of us shielded our eyes from the bright flash of white light that signaled the acceptance of bonding. When the light disappeared, Amelia turned to us and she bore the scale of her Dragon above her brow and her eyes had changed to match the color of her Dragon's scales, the symbols of a bonded pair.

Humans had nothing to offer a Dragon other than companionship, so the Dragons shared what they had with us. Their strength and their magic. There were few humans who could perform magic without bonding to a Dragon and none of them exercised that ability without considering the balance of the world. There was, of course, the rare foolish magic user that cast spells carelessly, but they usually learned pretty quickly. Dragon magic, however, worked completely different. It was a mystery how they used it, but it was always without concern for the balance. Somehow it wasn't affected by their magic.

Without a bonding, we were only able to learn the basics of Dragon magic, unable to actually perform any. After the bonding, if we could control our power and learn to use it efficiently, we would have the honor of being considered as a true Rider. It was a great honor to be a part of the elite team and it was my goal to join that legacy.

I watched as the other students ahead of me each took thier turn and bonded with their Dragons. Logan bonded with a dark bluish purple Dragon with eyes like sapphires. When it was Suri's turn, we all looked to the sky expectantly, but her Dragon never flew down. Instead, a lilac purple Dragon erupted from the water, her eyes like amethyst. We were showered by droplets of water. As the student before me made their bond, I felt my heart pound like a drum. _You can do this,_ I told myself, _Top of the class. Nothing could possibly go wrong. _If only I knew.

I made my way to the center of the clearing, each step feeling like my last and closed my eyes. I couldn't watch my own procession; I was too nervous. After a few seconds, I forced my heart to slow and lifted my eyes to the sky above me. The Dragons had come to their standstill. I waited. Nothing happened. My gaze moved from one Dragon to the next. Not one of them gave any sign of moving away from the circle. My eyes dropped to the water. It was smoothe as it could be, rippling only as the waterfall broke the surface. I waited. Nothing continued to happen. How long had I been standing here? Did time move this slow for the others? Finally, the Dragons in the sky flexed their muscles as one and disappeared in different directions.

_It is not your time to bond,_ I heard Atera say, _Come again next year, hatchling._ I felt my stomach drop to my feet. I would not bond today. I had been called hatchling. Never before had I heard of someone not bonding during the Bonding Ceremony.

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**A/N:**

**I feel very accomplished that I even got through the first chapter. haha. Although, I feel like the ending of it seems incomplete.**

**Let me know what you think!**

**Review with your always constructive criticism! Again, flames are more than welcome.**


	3. Chapter 2

**2**

**Sense of Purpose**

I must have stood there for hours. It felt like hours. I jumped, startled, as someone touched my shoulder. "Lalee." Logan. I turned to face him slowly, my whole body feeling like lead. Instead of seeing him through my eyes, I felt as though I were looking through someone else's. almost like I'd died and now inhabited an empty shell. Or maybe I was the empty shell. I didn't know; I couldn't tell. Logan's eyebrows were drawn to a crease just above the bridge of his nose, "Are you okay? Hey, it's no big deal. It just wasn't your year." His voice sounded so far away. It had never _not_ been someone's year. This kind of thing was unheard of.

His arms were suddenly around me and he kissed my cheek. My cheek was wet where his lips had touched my skin. Why hadn't I noticed it before? Now I realized my vision was blurry. Logan was trying to comfort me, but there was nothing to comfort. I felt nothing but a dull numbness. I heard Logan sigh when I didn't respond to him and he slumped in defeat. He knew there was nothing he could do. I watched him walk away in a haze. I was barely aware of the Dragon that followed him.

I lost track of time again, frozen in shock and disappointment. I had been left alone in my despair. Even the Dragon Queen showed no pity. Good. I didn't think I could take it. My eyes were drawn to the sky. The sun was setting. Sun; that's what Cyrus' name meant. Cyrus! I sank to my knees with my fists to my face and wailed. How could I possibly face him now? He had been looking forward to this almost as much as I had. Now I was too ashamed to face him. His failure of a big sister. I'd even forgotten about him. But I had to go home. I couldn't stand here and wallow in self-pity forever and he needed me to take care of him. Molly couldn't do it for me.

I quickly got to my feet and ran home, ignoring all my training. I reached the house, something recently unusual, and burst through the door. As soon as I was inside, I paused to take note of who was here. I heard no moving of pots and pans in the kitchen, so I could count on Molly having gone home already which I found unusual. She usually stayed until I got home. Maybe she got tired of waiting and had to go home to be with her own kids. I wouldn't blame her. I went into the kitchen where Cyrus was patiently finger painting. He heard my footsteps and looked up. As soon as our eyes met, I immediately regretted the decision of coming straight home. I wasn't ready to face his excited happiness just to be crushed into sad disappointment. I couldn't stop the fresh torrent of tears and I bolted from the kitchen and ran to my room.

I threw myself on my bed and sobbed into my pillow. After a few minutes, I hear Cyrus outside my room, "Lalee? Lalee…" My sobs ceased immediately at the sound of his voice. I got up, sniffling, and opened my door. He stood there looking up at me with worried gray eyes, his stuffed Dragon clutched to his chest. I really needed to consider getting him a stuffed bear instead. I sighed, wiped my face, and picked him up. As soon as he was in my arms, he hugged me tightly, "It's okay, Lalee." He told me.

Despite my mood, I chuckled, "You don't even know what's wrong, sweetie." He lifted his head from my shoulder.

"Yes, I do. Logan stopped by. He told us what happened. Molly went home after that," Cyrus dropped his hold on my and I put him down, "She left a note for you." He pulled it out of his pocket and handed it to me. I read it. Molly was a lovely lady. In the letter, Molly voiced her concern for me and told me to keep my chin up. She told me that she'd only left because she thought it would be for the best. I sighed and put the note away. Cyrus was watching me carefully.

I smiled at him, "Are you hungry?" He shook his head, "Yeah, me neither." I turned back to my room.

"Lalee?" His voice was so small, I turned back to him and he fidgeted shyly. That wasn't like him. "You promised to tell me the Dragon Bonding story." I swallowed. He was nervous since he wasn't sure what kind of mood I was in. however, when it came to telling that story, I couldn't break my promise. No matter what.

"You're right. I did. Come on." I beckoned him in my room and he didn't think twice. Cyrus scrambled up onto my bed, still clutching Mr. Scales the Dragon tightly. I sat down next to him and propped my feet up and put an arm around him. He snuggled up to me and made himself comfortable as he waited for me to start the story. I closed my eyes, remembering how Dad used to tell me this story before I would go to sleep by popular demand. It was my favorite and now it had become Cyrus' favorite, too. I remembered the first time I told him the story and how in awe he'd been. "Wawee's going to be a Widew! Wawee _has_ to be!" He couldn't say his 'l's or 'r's, yet, at the time. I had laughed at how sure he was that I become one of the legendries and had said it was what I dreamed for. That dream was gone now.

I opened my eyes and smiled at him, pushing those thoughts away, "In the days of our ancestors…" I only made it halfway through the tale before Cyrus was sound asleep. I kissed his forehead and settled more comfortably into my bed, careful not to wake him, and fell asleep.

I woke with a start at a knock on the door. I looked over and saw that Cyrus had moved to the far end of the bed in his sleep. Careful not to move the bed, I got up and crept into the hallway. When I passed the kitchen and nearly froze when I was Mom digging through the fridge. I snuck past her and opened the door. "Twila!" I threw a hand over Logan's mouth and pushed him back outside. He looked at me questioningly.

"Mom's up." I explained. He nodded in understanding and I dropped my hand. It was still dark outside, "Logan, are you _crazy_? What _time_ is it?

He shook his head, "I don't know. I just came over because I was worried."

I frowned, "Worried? Logan, I'm fine. I'll live another year without a Dragon. I'm disappointed and upset, yes, but I'll be fine. Now, let me go back to bed." Logan stared at me wordlessly, the worried crease in his brow remained intact. "What?"

"Twila… You've been sleeping for two _days_." I gaped at him. He rarely called me by my actual name, and, when he did, it was when he was being completely serious. I was speechless.

"What?" I whispered fiercely, "There's no _way_."

Logan grabbed me by the shoulders, "You mean to say that you weren't _aware_?" He didn't wait for my reply, "My mom came by the morning after the Ceremony just to check and see how you were doing, bu t Cyrus told her that you wouldn't wake up. My mom had feared the worst, then, and asked to see you immediately. You can only imagine her relief. She brought Cyrus over tour house, but he insisted to go home at night." Logan chuckled, "He didn't want you to be alone at night in case you woke up and was afraid."

I felt a tear trickle down my cheek and I lurched forward. Logan caught me and I felt myself collapse in his arms as I sobbed silently. "What's wrong with me?" I whispered.

Logan hugged me to his chest, "Nothing's wrong with you. I think you were in shock and depressed. You're right, though. I think you'll be okay now."

"But Cyrus!" I protested, "How could I just let him defend for himself like that? What if your mother hadn't come over? I'm just as bad as mom."

He pushed me away and took hold of my shoulders again, shaking me, "Don't you _ever_ say something like that again! You are nothing like your mom, and you know it. I know it, Suri knows it, Cyrus knows it, _everyone _knows it. Hell, I bet even your _mom_ knows that you're not like her."

I sniffled, "But –"

"Don't even protest," he interrupted me, "You made a mistake. Big deal. You weren't even aware of it. No one's blaming you. Promise me you won't compare yourself to her again." I nodded and more tears fell down my face.

"You're such a great friend, Logan." I smiled at him.

He smiled back, "I know. Hey, is it okay if I come in for breakfast? My new training starts today and I don't want to go hungry."

I wiped my face and moved to the door, "Yeah. Hopefully, Mom's not in the kitchen anymore." He winced and followed me quietly inside. It had been a long time since Logan had come over for anything. It had been even longer since Suri had been here. I didn't really like having people over. Peeking around the kitchen door, I checked for signs of my mom. She was nowhere to be seen, so I assumed she'd found food and gone back to bed. "All clear," I said back to Logan. He followed me into the kitchen and watched silently as I cooked eggs and bacon and cinnamon rolls. It wasn't until I'd been cooking for a while when we heard Cyrus yell from my room.

Lalee!" Logan and I shared a split second glance at each other before bolting to my room. I threw the door out of my way and went directly to Cyrus' side of the bed.

"Cyrus? What's wrong, baby?"

He threw his arms around my neck, "I woke up and you suddenly weren't there. I didn't know where you went." I hugged him back tightly.

"It's alright, sweetie, I'm not going anywhere." I glanced up at Logan, relief obvious on his face, "Let's go out to the kitchen and get you some breakfast." I carried him out to the table and set him down on a chair and finished my cooking. Logan was sitting next to Cyrus, talking quietly when I served the food. I looked at it all and felt famished. It didn't surprise me since I'd slept for two days straight. However, I picked at my food, not really wanting to eat even though I knew I should. I glanced up at Cyrus. He was fidgeting as he ate and stole glances between me and Logan. When he saw me watching, he bent his head down shamefully.

I understood all too well. He wanted to ask Logan about his Dragon, but he knew I was sensitive about the topic. I hid a smile and turned to Logan, "What's your Dragon's name, Logan? It's a deep purple-blue color, right? Sapphire eyes?"

Logan stared up at me, frozen mid-bite. He slowly put his fork down, "Yeah. Her name is Astraea."

I smiled at him, "The blue is an improvement. It compliments your hair." I giggled as he went back to his food, bending his head down to hide his blush. Cyrus, oblivious to the exchange, took this as his cue to ask his questions.

"Astraea? Wow, what a cool name! Do her scales really glitter like jewels? I've heard that Dragon scales do that. How big is she? Is she bigger than a house?" His questions came out in an endless stream and Logan did his best to keep up. It finally ended with Logan promising Cyrus that he'd bring Astraea with him next time so that he could see for himself. He looked up at me.

"If that's okay with you?" He was asking permission. I rolled my eyes.

"I'm not that pathetic, geez." I grinned. He grinned back and stood up.

"I'd love to stay longer, but I have to get going. I don't want to be late on my first day." I watched him leave before I turned to Cyrus who was excitedly finishing the last of his breakfast.

"So, what did you do with Molly?" I asked him. He carried his plate to the sink so that I could wash it later.

"Finger painting!" he said happily.

"Again?"

He shrugged, "I really like painting."

"Did you bring them home? Can I see them?" I was curious about them and I hadn't had the chance to see them before.

Cyrus took my hand and tugged my arm, "There were so many, I had to put them in the living room to dry!"

"Okay, let's go see them." I let him pull me into the living room where there had to have been at least twenty painted pictures. "Wow, Cyrus, you kept busy." Many of the paintings were of Dragons in all different colors. There were a few that were obviously of him and me.

"This one's my favorite," Cyrus handed me a picture. He was a surprisingly good artist for a kid. If he kept at it, he would be a master when he got older. The painting was of him and me lying in my bed with one arm wrapped around him and the other held out in front of me. "You're telling me the Dragon's Bond story."

I smiled fondly at the painting and knelt down beside him, "It's beautiful, Cyrus. You did a very good job on it." My cheeks suddenly felt wet and I knew I was crying. I couldn't help it. Cyrus deserved a much better caretaker than a failure like me. Cyrus hugged me tightly.

"Don't worry, I will always want to be _just_ like Lalee when I grow up. No matter what." I hugged him back just as tight and cried more. This kid was too good. How did he always know just what to say?

"What is this trash all over my living room?" _Mom._ She was in a drunken state and had made one of her random wanderings from her bedroom. I stood quickly, keeping my hold on Cyrus so that I carried him. I would run to protect him if I had to. "I asked you a question, _girl_." She yelled, "And who do you think you are to come home without a Dragon? How shameful!" I flinched. How did she know? "Yeah, that's right. I heard your little friend talking to that wench he calls 'mother'. I heard –"

"Mom!" Cyrus yelled, "Mommy, it's not trash. I painted pictures!" Mom paused in her rant to look at Cyrus' anxious face. Cyrus wriggled out of my arms, "Look, I even painted some of you." He went behind the coffee table where no one would see them if you were to just walk in the room.

"I don't want to –" Mom started, but Cyrus was already shoving the paintings into her arms before running around her and to his room. I stood still, watching Mom carefully, waiting for any signs of violence or outburst. Mom stared at the paintings for a long time before frowning, "What is this crap?" And she let them fall to the floor, "Clean up this mess." She went back to her room and slammed the door.

I sank to my knees and felt myself breathe. We'd been lucky. Things could have gone a lot worse. My eyes were drawn to the paintings she'd dumped on the floor and I picked them up. They were all of how Cyrus depicted her. Thin and sallow face from malnutrition and lank, stringy hair from lack of bathing. Her eyes were either angry or empty. Except one. The very last picture was of all three of us. We were all smiling and Mom looked healthy. Or at least what Cyrus thought she would look like if she didn't drink. This made me cry again, my little brother didn't know what it was like to have a mom.

I quickly shook my head. This was _not_ the time to be crying. I needed to be strong for Cyrus. I stood up, pictures still in hand, and took the heavy steps to my mom's bedroom door. It was cracked open. Apparently, she'd slammed it hard enough that it didn't latch. I pushed it open more; the scent of stale sweat, vomit, tears, and alcohol hitting me like a brick.

"Mom?" No answer. I treaded lightly into her dark room. It had been at least a year or more since I'd been in here. The room was a mess and the smell didn't get any better. I sighed heavily; Mom was already sprawled across her bed, passed out. I made sure to be quiet as I went to her bedside and put Cyrus' paintings in her limp hand. All I could do now was pray to the gods.

I left her room hastily and closed the door behind me softly. "Lalee?" I jumped, not expecting Cyrus to have noticed me.

"Yes, baby?" I turned to him. He was looking at me suspiciously.

"What were you doing in Mommy's room?" he was too cute.

I smiled at him, "Don't worry about it. How about we get you in the bath and we go eat lunch with Suri and Logan? I bet you'll get to see their… Dragons." I swallowed hard. That had been harder to say than I thought. I was glad that Cyrus didn't notice. His eyes grew wide in his excitement before bolting for the washroom. I smiled at his joyful enthusiasm.

Once I heard water running, I went to the kitchen and began making lunch for four. I was packing the last finishing touches into a picnic basket when I heard Cyrus calling for me, "Lalee! I can't find my clothes!" I shook my head in amusement, finished packing, and then went to help my little brother.

When I got to his room, he was wrapped from neck to mid-calf in a big, white fluffy towel. I examined Cyrus' room in dismay. I had let myself get horridly behind on laundry. I went to his hamper and pulled out a shirt and shorts that weren't completely offensive and handed them to him. "Don't tell anyone. Just this once okay? I smiled sheepishly at him. Cyrus stared at me with wide eyes and nodded slowly, shocked, I supposed.

Quickly, I pulled the clothes onto him and pushed him into the kitchen. "We have to hurry!" I called out as I threw the rest of lunch into the basket, not caring much about how it landed. I was vaguely aware of Cyrus running to get a blanket for us to sit on as I bolted through the front door.

"Lalee! The front door! You forgot to close it!" Cyrus yelled.

I halted and allowed him to catch up to me. I eyed him. "Weren't you the last one out?" I asked. His eyes widened and his mouth gaped open. He nodded. Did you close it?" Slowly, he nodded again. "Good. _See? _I didn't leave it open." I winked at him playfully and he laughed. Cyrus took my hand and we began our hurried pace again.

In a matter of minutes, we spotted the training grounds. Logan and Suri were just finishing an exercise as Cyrus and I approached the edge of the grounds. I watched silently as they both struggled to keep a small stone levitated above their palms. On a small intake of breath, Logan's stone fell into his open palm. "Damn," he muttered, then grinned as Suri ceased her struggle. Her smile was much wider than his. "Looks like you beat me again, Suri!" he laughed. Suri jumped to her feet.

"It feels so good to finally excel at something!" she laughed in return. I grinned. Suri had always wanted to surpass me in _something_ when it came to Dragon training. Now she could. Though it hurt me, I was still happy for her. She noticed me, "Oh, Twila! And Cyrus! What are you two doing here?"

Logan rose to his feet, a surprised look on his face. I lifted my picnic basket, "Just thought you guys might be hungry."

"And I want to see the Dragons!" Cyrus yelled excitedly. We laughed and Suri kneeled in front of him.

"I tell you what, why don't we go eat by the river? I'm sure Liliana is swimming there right now."

"Liliana? Is that your Dragon's name? What color is she? Is she really big? Do her scales glitter?" The torrent of questions was not spared on Suri, who laughed.

"C'mon, Cyrus. We'll let Liliana answer that." As we made our way to the river, Logan and I followed behind Suri, who held Cyrus' hand as they stepped over rocks. Logan leaned over and took the picnic basket from me.

I lifted an eyebrow, "That's not necessary, you know. I went through the same training as you." Logan shrugged.

"What kind of gentleman would that make me?" He gave me a lopsided grin that I couldn't help smiling back at.

"C'mon, you lovebirds. You're falling behind and I'm _starving._" Suri yelled at us. Logan gaped at her and blushed, but I just stuck my tongue out at her.

"That's not even funny, Suri." I yelled back at her. She only stuck her tongue out back and laughed. Before I could run to catch up, however, Logan grabbed my upper arm and pulled me back. His newly sapphire eyes bore into mine.

"Are you sure you can handle this?" His eyes searched mine for any hint of doubt or weakness. I looked down momentarily before meeting his gaze again.

"Yeah, I'm sure. I have to be." I said without hesitation, "Whatever happens, it happens for reason, and I can't spend my life worrying over it. Cyrus needs me. He needs me to be there for him and support him. I can't do that if I'm constantly wallowing in my own self-pity. So, if not for myself, then I have to be okay for him." Logan stared at me silently for a moment.

"Okay," he said finally, "I'll accept that." I stared curiously at his back as he left me behind to join Suri and Cyrus. I couldn't help but feel as though there was something else hidden beneath that statement of his. I shrugged. _Oh, well._

"Hey, you guys! Wait up!" I ran to join the people who mattered most to me and I knew what I had to do.


End file.
